Amazon Drones Settle Into Chicago’s South Suburbs as Zipline Files for a Charlotte Tower Site

Amazon’s Prime Air drones are now a regular sight over parts of Chicago’s south suburbs. Some neighbors don’t like the sound. NBC Chicago reported on October 26 that Amazon has about 21 drones at its fulfillment center in Markham, Illinois. Residents in nearby Homewood had mixed reactions. One called the sound “weird” and “kind of annoying.” Another said he liked the idea of fast medication deliveries and fewer delivery vans.

CBS Chicago first reported deliveries from Markham in mid-October. The NBC story is a sign that the service has moved from novelty to everyday life for people living under the flight paths.

What Amazon is flying in Chicago

Here’s what Amazon has told local reporters about the Markham operation:

• About 21 drones are based at the Markham site.
• Packages can weigh up to 5 pounds.
• Range: CBS Chicago reported deliveries up to 7.5 miles away. NBC Chicago reported up to eight miles.
• Amazon told NBC each delivery costs it less than $5.
• Amazon says the drone cameras and sensors are used only for navigation and obstacle detection, and nobody is watching a live feed.

The FAA’s draft environmental assessment for Chicago, published in July, gives the bigger picture. It covers Amazon’s MK30 drone, which weighs about 78 pounds, at three sites: Markham, Matteson and West Chicago. Amazon proposed up to 1,000 delivery flights per day at each site, seven days a week, between 6 a.m. and 10:30 p.m. Up to 10% of those flights would fall in the early-morning and late-evening edges of that window. The document lists a 7.5-mile operating range and a potential operating area of about 174 square miles per site. Those are maximums Amazon asked the FAA to evaluate, not current flight counts. NBC reports the company plans to add more centers in the region.

The draft EA also notes that the nearest homes to the Markham site are about 1,900 feet away. Markham confirmed in writing in November 2025 that drone delivery is a by-right use in that industrial zone. That helps explain why the debate there is about noise, not zoning.

Meanwhile in Charlotte: Zipline files for a tower site

Charlotte, where Walmart and Wing launched last week, may soon have a second delivery company. Axios Charlotte reported on October 25 that Zipline has started city permitting for four drone charging towers on a half-acre site on General Drive near Carowinds. The towers are about the size of a light pole, with arms where drones dock between flights. Zipline told Axios the site is early in permitting and it has no partners to announce for the area yet. It has already announced a partnership with Advocate Health to deliver prescriptions, lab samples and medical supplies starting in 2027.

Axios also reports that Wing now delivers from seven Walmart stores in the region, with two more Charlotte stores to come. We covered that rollout in Drone Delivery Lands in Charlotte With Walmart and Wing.

What this means for drone pilots

• Noise is the issue to watch. In Chicago, the complaints are about sound, not safety incidents. If delivery drones get a reputation for noise, local pressure can spill over to all drone operators. That makes it even more worth flying considerately when you’re near homes.
• Watch for delivery traffic. Around Markham, Matteson and the Charlotte stores, you may share low-altitude airspace with delivery aircraft that are much heavier than your drone. Part 107 requires you to yield right-of-way, so keep a visual observer if you’re working near a hub.
• Read the environmental assessments. FAA environmental documents spell out the flight volumes, hours and ranges that local stories rarely include. They’re public, and they’re the best source for what’s coming to your area.
• Jobs follow hubs. Amazon told CBS the Markham site added 30 jobs. Delivery operations need remote pilots and technicians, and those jobs start with a remote pilot certificate. Our Part 107 course is the fastest way to get one.

Sources: NBC Chicago; CBS Chicago; FAA Draft Environmental Assessment, Amazon Prime Air Chicago (July 2026); Axios Charlotte.

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